Farmer's market haul

It’s the first sunny day you’ve seen for a while, and a great opportunity to explore your local farmer's market. New recipes from The Sunlight Sets, simple set menus that are light and easy to digest.

It’s the first sunny day you’ve seen for a while, at the tail end of winter. You make plans to head to the Saturday morning farmer’s market, hoping there will be more than just apples – you’ve eaten so many this season! Strolling around, you pick up the ugliest vegetable you’ve ever seen, heavy as a bowling ball. Turns out, it’s a celeriac. You remember eating a delicious, creamy but elegant salad in a French bistro made from this beautiful beast and decide to take a chance on recreating a fresher version of it for lunch.

You come across a stand holder selling fermented drinking vinegars, which you’ve not tried before. “Make sure to mix it with water,” she says with a smile, “never straight from the bottle.” You buy a bottle of the rhubarb shrub. Its sour, fruity flavour will perfectly balance the cured salmon you plan to serve with your salad.

Back at the house, you set out the fish, celeriac salad and a stack of crumbly, home-baked oatcakes on one long plate, your farmers market haul on show. You smile, knowing that every day gets a little longer and a little brighter from here.

• Salmon gravlax with celeriac remoulade

• Rustic oatcakes

• Rhubarb shrub mocktail

Salmon gravlax with celeriac remoulade

Serves 2, with leftovers for tomorrow

Ingredients: ½ small to medium celeriac (300-400g) · ½ lemon · 1 tsp capers ·120g salmon gravlax (or hot smoked salmon, pickled herring or anchovies) · ½ small bunch soft green herbs, like chives or parsley · ½ cucumber Dressing: 1 lemon · 2 tbsp mild extra virgin olive oil · 2 tbsp natural live yoghurt · 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar · 2 tsp Dijon mustard · black pepper

Method: Cut a thin slice off the celeriac’s base to create a flat surface, then remove any bumps with a small sharp knife. Remove the skin with a peeler, then use a julienne peeler to make matchstick-size pieces (alternatively, cut the celeriac into 3mm slices and then cut again into matchsticks; or coarsely grate with a food processor or box grater – watch your fingers!). Bring a large pan of water to a boil, add the julienned celeriac for a few seconds then rinse straight away under cold water. Drain and pat dry with a tea towel, then set aside in a large salad bowl.

To make the dressing, whisk the ingredients together in a glass jug. Then briefly use a hand blender for a smooth consistency. Add the capers to the bowl of celeriac, then add the dressing little by little until it just coats the vegetables. Spoon the salad onto a plate, and drape slices of salmon next to it. Scatter with chopped herbs, and serve with sliced cucumbers and oatcakes (scroll down for recipe).

Farmer's market haul

Rustic oatcakes

Makes 12

Ingredients: 70g rolled oats · ½ tsp salt · black pepper · 40 ml olive oil · 50ml boiling water

Method: Preheat the oven to 180c. Line a baking tray with baking paper. Put the oats in a food processor and pulse until you reach a fine texture, with a few coarse flakes. Mix the ground oats, salt and a little ground black pepper in a bowl, then make a well in the centre.

Pour the olive oil into the well, with a dash of the boiling water. Stir to bring the mixture together into a firm dough. Work quickly, and add more boiling water if needed to bring the mixture together into a ball.

Scrape the dough onto the lined tray, and cover with another sheet of baking paper. Roll out to a 3-5 mm thickness. Slide the rolled dough onto a freezer-safe tray, keeping the baking paper on both sides. Freeze the dough until it’s firm but not frozen, about 30 minutes.

Peel off the top layer of baking paper, and set it aside. Cut out oatcakes using a 6-7 cm round cutter, then transfer to the set-aside paper, leaving a 2-3cm gap between each one. Bring together the scraps and roll flat until all the dough is used up (splash a few drops of water if the dough is getting dry). Put the tray in the pre-heated oven and bake the oatcakes until lightly golden and cooked all the way through. Set a timer for 20 minutes – they may need another 10 minutes after you’ve flipped them over. Leave to cool, then store in an airtight container.

Rhubarb shrub mocktail

Makes 2 mocktails, and 2 for the neighbours

Ingredients: 1 stalk of rhubarb (or 1 cup of any fruit: try blackberries or plums, stoned and skin on) · ¼ cup brown sugar or honey · up to ½ cup apple cider vinegar

Method: If you are using hard fruit like rhubarb or plums, grate or roughly chop it into small pieces. Combine fruit and sugar or honey in a glass jar with a lid, or a non-metal bowl, and mix together. Cover and let sit on your cool kitchen counter for 24 hours. The next day, stir in the vinegar – add it gradually up to ½ cup, to get a 1:1 ratio of vinegar to fruit. Cover and put in the fridge for an hour, or overnight if you have time. Strain the fruit mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a wide measuring jug, jar or bowl. To serve, fill a short glass with ice cubes. Add 1 part fruit shrub to 3 parts soda water. Don't drink the shrub without diluting it, to protect your digestion and teeth.

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Make it work for you

If you are following a short-term low FODMAP diet, use sugar instead of honey to make the shrub – the small amount of sugar means this recipe still falls in the healthy category. Avoid stone fruit like plums, and stick to rhubarb or fresh berries.

The ritual

Invite a friend or family member to join you for a morning walk once a week. Share what you’re looking forward to that week, and something you’d like a little help with. Movement loosens the body; talking lightens the load.

Author: Kym Lang. Photography: Kym Lang.